


but you still catch my eye.

by ROSETlCO



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: M/M, drunk!ilsa is benthan number 1 shipper, so it's like a modern!au/no imf!au idk, they don't work at the imf in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:56:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROSETlCO/pseuds/ROSETlCO
Summary: in which Benji and Ethan constantly meet at Ilsa's annual christmas party.





	but you still catch my eye.

**Author's Note:**

> just an fyi  
> if ilsa is kinda out of character is because she is drunk the entire time ok?  
> thanks

The first time Benji meet Ethan, it was 2006, at Ilsa’s annual christmas party. 

Benji wasn’t sure why he had agreed to go to said party, but his mother had told him it was a good idea to go out and have fun for once, since he couldn’t afford a plane ticket back home, so there was that. Still, not the most brilliant idea considering he and Ilsa weren’t even that close. They went to university together, and had a few friends in common, but they never spoke any more that a simple “hello” as they rushed through the corridors, or the occasional moment where they asked each other for notes. Nothing else. But as he was last-minute shopping for a gift for his office secret santa, he ran into her, which was weird, because he always thought she would be the kind of person that would stay at their small town, since her mother was sick. Yet, she was there, in Washington, shopping for christmas ornaments. After chatting for a few minutes, and Benji accidentally revealing his sad plans for the holidays (which included watching The Grinch on a loop and eating christmas cookies he couldn’t bake), Ilsa decided it would be a good idea if he came to her party. That meant socializing, making small talk, and having conversations with people he had never even meant. Nevertheless, there was something in her tone that made him say yes. And that was that, and suddenly Benjamin Dunn found himself outside her door as she drunkenly celebrated his arrival. 

Her apartment was small, and he understood that, because his was even smaller. But it was cozy and warm and was subtly decorated. Inside, there were at least thirty people, mostly of his age, and Benji began wondering how Ilsa managed to get so many friends, since she was the most quiet girl in his class. But people change, and that was noticeable.

He grabbed a glass of champagne and pressed his back against the wall, watching the fairy lights illuminate the place and listening to the soft jazz music playing (he later realized it was christmas songs).

And then, Benji saw him.

He was older than him, Benji could tell. He had messy, dark hair, and Benji couldn’t help but stare. There was something about him that Benji couldn’t figure out. 

Suddenly, he was standing right next to him, grabbing a stack of candy canes with a grin on his face.

“Great party, right?” was the only thing he said. He left, and Benji didn’t even have time to respond.

They met again, almost five years later. Benji skipped the first two years (he got a promotion and could finally afford the plane tickets), and he went to the party the remaining years, but there was no sight of the mysterious man he had met all this years ago. 

Until he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

Benji turned around to see Ilsa, with a huge smile on her face.

“Benji! I’m so glad you came!”

“Ah, thanks for inviting me, Ilsa.” He smiled back.

“Of course,” she playfully tapped his shoulder again, laughing silently. “Oh, have you meet Ethan?” Before Benji could answer, she turned around and motioned whoever she was talking to to come over. And then, there he was again.

“Uh, you called?” the man said, extending his arms as he asked the question.

“Yes, yes! Come over here!” She waved her hands, as in she was telling him to hurry. 

Benji got nervous.

“Ethan, this is Benji! We went to university together! And now he’s here! How crazy!” She exclaimed, taking a sip of her glass.

“Yep, maybe you shouldn’t drink a lot of that.” Benji said, taking the glass off her hands. 

“Rude,” she huffed as Ethan laughed. “I knew you two would get along, you’re both mean,” she waved goodbye at them and they lost her to the crowd.

“Nice to meet you, uh-“

“Benji,” he smiled. “Nice to meet you, too, Ethan was it?” He was lying, of course, he learnt his name that same night they first met, because he heard Luther calling him, another friend in common. Still, he had to stay cool.

“Yes, that’s me.”

Small talk had always been like torture for Benji, but somehow, Ethan made it feel nice. Casual conversation. He liked it.

After that party, they saw each other a few times. They never talked again, as much as they did that night, but they said “hey” every now and then when they ran into each other. 

But it all changed in 2015, when Ilsa decided it would be the most wonderful idea to do a secret santa with the “regulars” as she called them. People who were always at her “social gatherings”, because calling them parties would get her into trouble with the building owner.

It all started with an email, with a link to a website that was supposed to sort the secret santas.

Benji couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw that he had gotten Ethan. Luckily for him, he had always been told he gave great gifts, and he chose to believe it, because he was desperate. 

What do you get to a man you’ve only talked to twice, but seen him many times more, and you may or may not have a crush on? 

He had to stalk him, obviously. But Ethan was a mystery, or maybe it was just that Benji didn’t know his surname, and that’s what made it harder to look for information. All he knew was that he and Ilsa meet at the gym and that he was a cop, and that he also went through a divorce. And the only reason Benji knew that was because he noticed how Ethan’s wedding ring disappeared through the years.

In the end, Benji got him a box filled with socks, because socks are always needed.

Ethan loved them, and told Benji that the socks were very much-needed, and then thanked him.

Turns out, Ethan had gotten Benji’s name, and he got him a mug (with a space for cookies, mind you) that Benji adored since he loved drinking his tea with biscuits. 

That night, they talked for hours, like they knew each other lifetimes ago. Turns out Ethan did go through a divorce, and was having a hard time looking for a new place. He also complimented Benji, telling him he looked really great with his beard, which made Benji finally relax because he had been stressing out over it. 

They exchanged numbers, to Benji’s surprise, and agreed to meet up sometime.

They did hang out together after that, whether it was going out for drinks, or Ethan going to Benji’s place for a cup of coffee. But Benji’s favorite time was just as christmas was around the corner, and Ethan asked him for help to buy new furniture, which meant a trip to Ikea. Apparently, Ethan loved the way Benji organized his own apartment, and he was desperate for help.

After Ikea, Ethan invited him an ice-cream, and Benji felt just like he did as a kid when he got a crush. Butterflies and constant daydreaming and all. 

A couple of days later, it was time for the party.

Ethan was late, and that worried Benji. He felt lonely without him, Ilsa could tell. She could also tell he liked him, quite a lot. And it was confirmed when Ethan walked through the door and Benji’s smile lit up the entire place. So she began plotting.

It was around midnight when Benji and Ethan stepped into he balcony. Ilsa had gotten a new place, bigger than the last one. But there was always a christmas gathering wherever she went. 

They talked about the usual things. How were things at work, if they had done anything interesting the past few days, how beautiful the sky was that night. Too clear, not a cloud in sight, even though they were in the beginning of winter. As they looked up the sky, Ilsa showed up right behind them, tapping their shoulders lightly. 

Yes, she was being childish, but she didn’t give a damn. She took a while thinking this through.

“Aw, guys, look!” She exclaimed pointing up. They turned around, obviously. “You’re standing under the mistletoe!”

“We’re what?” Ethan asked, looking up.

“I wo-wonder how that got up there.” Benji muttered, eying Ilsa, who had a huge smile on her face. 

“You know what you have to do,” she giggled. “Go on, kiss!” She winked. 

“I-I- uh, I’m not sure if-“

Benji couldn’t finish his sentence because Ethan’s lips were on his, as he gave him a soft and chaste kiss. Simple, yet sweet.

Ilsa celebrated with yet more champagne and Luther, who just happened to be there, have them a pat on the back, as Benji felt the heat rush through his cheeks and ears. 

You are a grown man, he though. Behave.

But that was hard, considering that Ethan was still next to him, smiling gently at him.

It is necessary to say that that wasn’t the last time they kissed. In fact, they kissed the rest of the night, and the morning too, as Benji left Ethan’s apartment, or tried, since Ethan was begging him to stay a little more.

And just like that, the years went by, and Benji never though about how one day he would be quickly dressing his kids and yelling at Ethan to hurry up because they were going to be late for the party.

“But daddy!” six year-old Maude asked as Benji fixed her bright red dress. “Where are we going?”

“I told you, muffin,” he smiled. “We’re going to Aunt Ilsa’s place.” He twirled her around as she burst in giggles. “Now go tell your dad to hurry up, or I’ll get mad.”

The tiny brunette girl nodded and ran to the other room, where Ethan was battling with four year-old Colin, who didn’t want to put on his shoes.

“I don’t want to go,” he stated crossing his arms, which would’ve made Ethan laugh any other day. But not today. “I want to watch Mickey Mouse!”

“Sweetie, you can watch Mickey Mouse at aunt Ilsa’s, alright?”

“Dad!” Maude yelled as she entered the room. “Daddy says you have to hurry up!”

“Tell him we’re almost done.”

“Daddy! He says he’s almost done!”

“You don’t have to yell all the time, Maude!” Colin complained. 

“Hey! No fighting today, okay?” Ethan stood up. “This party is important to us. It’s where I met your dad.” Both kids nodded. “And if you keep this up I’ll tell aunt Ilsa.”

“No! You can’t do that!”

“Is everyone ready?” Benji entered the room. “We have to go! There’ll be traffic! Come on!”

The kids groaned as they stood up and walked to the door. 

“Colin wants to watch Mickey Mouse,” Ethan laughed, quickly kissing his husband. “I told him he could watch it at Ilsa’s.”

“Right, because she’ll allow that.” Benji smiled.

“He doesn’t have to know.”  
“Good point. Now, let’s go!”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy it!!  
> merry christmas to everyone and a happy new year as well!!
> 
> if there's any mistakes keep in mind I finished this round 1:30 am


End file.
